I want to extend a great big thank you to everyone who will be contributing to the exhibit at the fair this year. I am busy writing copy and checking details so I can give the paperwork over to be laminated before I finish out this week. I will send a group email out to everyone participating by the end of today, for you to check over and be sure I have spelled everything correctly ( grin ). Please respond with an ok or with whatever needs to be changed.

This one wont be finished in time.

This has been a summer for looking back. Reminiscing over our past projects has been great fun, and has me wondering if one or two projects might be fun to do again, Cloth Doll anyone? It has also been instructive for me personally to look at my own work. In my art school and teaching days I would do it regularly as a matter of course, but it has been many years since I have done such a review for myself. When I was first approached with this exhibition opportunity I secretly wondered if I had enough work that was not shoppe samples that counted in my own head as “my artwork”. Then I began to gather up pieces. There was more than I thought. What is more is that it all managed to look like the work of the same person, where the shoppe sample projects are much more eclectic. Looking at it all together I was able to see clearly the ideas and themes that have informed my creativity. Using the design principles and going through a checklist like I shared last week, I was able to write up a clear, consistent, and concrete statement about my work and what it is really about.

This one might be done in time. Love these colors.

Now most of you will never need to write a formal statement, but a good description of your work to verbalize to friends and family gives greater importance to what you are doing. Don’t ever let anyone put it down as just a hobby. If you enjoy it it is important, and speaking about it in educated terms underscores that. It also helps you to understand the things that you like and don’t like so that you can continue to create work that you still love when you are done with it. Even for those of you who like kits and precuts, you are still choosing patterns and designs that make you excited. Everyone has design preferences, and knowing consciously what yours are you will waste less time and money purchasing things you wont ever use. And yes even though I own a quilt shop, I want you to use the things you buy. A huge stash of things you wont use is not doing anyone any good.

So look back at the things you have done, the projects you love, and the ones you didn’t, and learn from them more than just techniques. You never know what you might discover about your own work. And be sure that if you visit the fair ( or when you are there checking out your own entries!! ) to stop by the quilt booth in the craft building and Check out the exhibit.